"We must understand life is very simple -
because the breath of life, by which we live, is given by God.
Our life is actually a testimony to the fact that somebody gives
us life." Yogi Bhajan, Kundalini Yoga Master 11/19/2000

As we move on a yogic path with a goal of
more balance and understanding of what life is, what our life
represents and how life has meaning, we can become overwhelmed
with choices. The path can seem complicated. Yoga, which means
the union of mind, body and breath, or spirit, is currently
approached in many ways.

Some come to yoga as a physical practice.
Others come for other reasons. In a class I teach to actors I
always start the semester by asking the students why they have
decided to do yoga , what they hope to get out of it. One
fellow's reason was simple- because Madonna does it. For
whatever reason one first comes to yoga, if you stay with the
practice the techniques ultimately lead us to a better
relationship with the Self, also known as Self-Realization.

Going further into the practice, from the
physical into the mental aspects, the process may appear to
become more complicated. We are introduced to the principles of
non-violence, non-desire and non-attachment. This could be
interpreted as removal from relationships, others and the
material world. That sounds simple but is complicated and
nonessential to implement.

What yoga is meant to be is a tool to make
our life simpler in the end by strengthening the body, the
nerves, the mind and altering the consciousness in a way that
life becomes something we can accept, appreciate and flow with.
This tool helps us live as "householders" in society and in the
world at large, not escaping to an ashram or monastery but
serving the family and community in a "yogic" way.

Stuart Wilde, in his little book "Life Was
Never Meant To Be A Struggle" says "Plot your battle plan and
stay centered on it but let the winds and currents of life allow
you to flow to other areas. Designing your life is a matter of
discipline. You need certain things and you desire them. But how
do you get them with minimum effort? By cutting out things that
are superfluous. Toss the extra baggage and HOLD ONTO A LIFE OF
SIMPLICITY. Constantly evaluate your circumstances to see if
things are worth the effort. Often you will find they are not."

Yoga as a physical practice alone can give us
the strength and discipline to find and maintain our center,
which helps us learn focus and stay focused. The addition of a
more deliberate mental practice, meditation, can vastly help us
eliminate the baggage in our lives and in our minds,that baggae
often being subconscious(samskaras). Regular meditators
experience life in a simpler, clearer way. Though some people
have the discipline of physical practice, the challenge of a
mental practice may not be as easy for some or the results so
readily observed. Meditators can shift their minds to a
different consciousness, or awareness level, that allows them to
flow with the currents of life, experiencing less drama and more
calm. Life feels simpler for having the discipline to take the
time to clear the physical cobwebs with asana (poses) and the
mental cobwebs with mantra and breath. This can result in
non-attachment and acceptance in a way that is healthier than
removing ourselves from the world, being in the world but not of
it.

Many people go to a yoga class to keep up
their regular physical practice. They learn to concentrate on
the poses and, if the instructor elaborates, on the importance
of the breath. Not all yoga classes or videos/DVDs teach how to
meditate or even to focus on the breath. The discipline of
meditation may not be presented because it is considered by some
to be an advanced practice. Meditation is actually quite simple
and, when practiced on a regular basis, life can be experienced
more simply, though not necessarily more easily. In meditation
we take the time to sort our thoughts, assess our feelings,
contemplate things that have happened or visualize things that
are going to happen. If we learn specific techniques we can
apply them to specific situations. Meditation techniques can
balance the brain and ease anxiety. This in itself simplifies
life.

Alternate nostril breath is one such
technique, a classic yoga practice to balance the two
hemispheres of the brain:
Curl the index and middle finger of the right hand, block off
the right nostril with the right thumb, inhale through the left
nostril. Block the left nostril, exhale through the right
nostril. Inhale right nostril, exhale left, inhale left and
continue this alternate nostril breath. You may keep this
pattern going for as long as you like, finishing with an exhale
through the left nostril.

Kindness and compassion, seeing all others as
an equal manifestation of life, are simple and helpful concepts
in yoga. In this way we see each other as mirrors of each other,
mirrors which help us in our self growth. Yogi Bhajan says : If
you don't see God in all, you don't see God at all (God being
the energy that generates, organizes and delivers all!). When
conflicts arise in our relationships, to simplify our
interaction with someone when we feel the encounter may be
emotionally charged, Kundalini Yoga offers a simple 3 to 5
minute Meditation for a Calm Heart.

Place the left hand on the middle of the
sternum, facing the fingers to the right. Bend the right elbow
as if taking a vow and press the index finger to the thumb, palm
facing forward. Close the eyes, inhale through the nose, hold
the breath in for a comfortable length of time, then exhale
through the nose and hold the breath out long enough to be
challenged but not to gasp for air. Inhale and hold, exhale and
hold and continue this cycle of breathing for 3 to 5 minutes
before going into a challenging meeting with friends or
associates.

Recently a few people have suggested to me
that Kundalini Yoga is most suitable to senior citizens. This is
not an appreciation for the tools of meditation that are
immediately introduced as part of Kundalini and for the fact
that a physical practice can be challenging without being an
atheletic workout. These non-athletic practices can be subtle
and challenging in their own right.

Here is an example of how meditation
techniques can help simplify our life, taken from a
correspondence:
I am a pre-med student. I took Kundalini Yoga for athletic
credit in high school. I also suffer from Attention Deficit
Disorder. I did not realize until after graduating how much of
an effect the active nature of Kundalini Yoga had on my
condition. The chanting, rhythm and energetic exercises engaged
my mind and body allowing me to remain focused during the Yoga.
I had problems with other forms of Yoga. Kundalini often left me
with a mental clarity that I have not experienced anywhere else,
not even when I take my medication! Kundalini Yoha has been so
special to me!

After all, is not a life of simplicity
ultimately a life of contentment. So if it is walking, which
massages the internal organs, or something else that gives you
that peace, give it to your Self on a regular basis.

From Wallace Stegner's All the Little Living
Things : It will hardly do to confess out loud, in this century,
what it took to content us. We walked, gardened, read. We
simplified feeling.

Awareness of what helps us simplify and
then doing it is all it takes!!

Amrita (Donna) has been teaching
Kundalini Yoga in NY city since 1985 and in a retreat
setting in northern Maine since 1997. She has produced video
and audiocassettes and continues her practice with studying
various forms of yoga besides Kundalini. She is certified by
3HO and Yoga Alliance. Amrita also teaches workshops on the
East coast and has taught in Costa Rica and various spas.
For more information:
www.sewallhouse.com

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